Paris…What’s not to love? From the charming streets, to the gorgeous parks, lovely gardens, great pastries and so much more. My love for Paris grew very strong over the time we were there. I thought I would highlight some of my favorites for you.
Eiffel Tower – This was a show stopper for our family. We loved it from the second we saw it but it stole our hearts when it started to twinkle. Days later we did a tour of the Eiffel Tower and went all the way to the top and we were in awe over how beautiful Paris is. We were lucky enough to get there before sunset, watch the sunset and watch the city come alive with lights. It was a magical experience and this time we saw the twinkling lights from the inside.
Palace of Versailles – This was another landmark that exceeded my expectations. From the moment we arrived and saw the golden gates to a stroll in the exquisite gardens I was filled with joy and peace. Beauty always does this to me. I love the vision they had and my absolute favorite part was the waterfall that suspended from the sky! Stella and I couldn’t believe it. My only wish was that I spent a day there rather than a couple of hours. If you go, I recommend leaving the tour behind and planning to spend the day in the gardens. You can rent bikes, a boat or a golf cart to see the entirety of it. We must go back to see the rest. I also heard that Marie Antoinette’s quarters were gorgeous.
Shopping – See my post later this week on Shopping in Paris. My favorite area was Saint Germain! I loved the quaint streets and boutiques in this area.
Disneyland Paris – I’m so glad that we went to Disneyland Paris. We hadn’t planned on it and in fact decided that morning to go and surprise Stella. We didn’t tell her until we were at the gates and she wondered why Mickey, Minnie and Tinkerbell were in Paris. It was a great day with a lot of fun and the parade always inspires me. I will say though, if you are into characters like we are, you might be disappointed. We stood in line for an hour and a half to see 1 princess where as in California, you stand in line for 45 minutes to see 4. Besides the parade, we didn’t see any other characters while we were there.
Flower shops and fruit stands – One of my favorite parts of this city was strolling around the streets and running into a gorgeous flower shop or fruit stands. They were so pretty and inspiring. I wish we had this element in Denver. I guess I’ll have to keep going to farmer’s markets.
Seine River Cruise – Another thing to add to my love for paris and one of my favorite experiences was a dinner cruise on the Seine River. I loved seeing all of the different areas of Paris by boat with a glass of champagne in hand and lovely friends nearby. It was especially touching to see this Statute of Liberty with the Eiffel Tower in the background.
Louvre – I think if you are in Paris, you have to visit the Louvre. We did a short trip to see the main attractions and it was a lot of fun. Stella was able to get up close and personal with The Mona Lisa. I know you’ve heard it before but it is amazing how small it is and it’s so cool how her eyes really do follow you when you walk. The art here was truly impressive!
Chocolate Shops – Oh how I LOVE dark chocolate. I was in heaven that each day as we strolled a new part of Paris, I could just stop and have some amazing chocolate. My favorite was La Maison Du Chocolat. With 8 boutiques in the Paris area, I felt like one was always nearby. They also have a few boutiques in New York to enjoy stateside.
As a side note, many people have wondered what it was like to be in Paris with everything that has been going on in France and being that they are on a high alert. Well, it was a little unsettling at times and I felt at home at other times. I had to get used to seeing police with riffles everywhere we went and remember that they were there to protect me and keep everyone safe. When the police weren’t around I felt at home strolling the streets and enjoying the Paris experience. The people were incredibly kind and generous. I will say that when I passed through customs in the US, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief to be home and incredibly grateful to live in this amazing country.
